Bonfire Safety: A Few Friendly Reminders

There are no laws against having a bonfire but there are laws about causing a nuisance. There are no set times in law which specify when burning may or may not take place. Smoke, or the smell of smoke from bonfires, can cause a statutory nuisance.

When having a bonfire make sure you:

• only burn dry material

• never burn household rubbish, rubber types, or anything containing plastic, foam or paint

• never use old engine oil, methylated spirits or petrol to light the fire or encourage it to burn

• avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions - smoke hangs in the air on damp, still days and in the evening - if it is windy, smoke may be blown into neighbours' gardens and across roads 

Further advice can be found at: https://publicprotectionpartnership.org.uk/smoke-and-bonfires/ and https://www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules